Semiconductor devices with through silicon vias and package-level configurability

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device assembly includes a substrate and a die coupled to the substrate, the die including a first contact pad electrically coupled to a first circuit on the die including an active circuit element, a first TSV electrically coupling the first contact pad to a first backside contact pad, and a second contact pad electrically coupled to a second circuit including only passive circuit elements. The substrate includes a substrate contact electrically coupled to the first and second contact pads. The assembly can further include a second die including a third contact pad electrically coupled to a third circuit including a second active circuit element, and a fourth contact pad electrically coupled to a fourth circuit on the second die including only passive circuit elements. The substrate contact can be electrically coupled to the third contact pad, but electrically disconnected from the fourth contact pad.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/020,792, filed Jun. 27, 2018; which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This application contains subject matter related to a previously-filed U.S. Patent Application by James E. Davis, Kevin G. Duesman, Jeffrey P. Wright, and Warren L. Boyer, entitled “SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES WITH POST-PROBE CONFIGURABILITY”. The related application, of which the disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, is assigned to Micron Technology, Inc., and was filed on Nov. 13, 2017 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/811,579.

This application contains subject matter related to a previously-filed U.S. Patent Application by James E. Davis, John. B. Pusey, Zhiping Yin, and Kevin G. Duesman, entitled “SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES WITH PACKAGE-LEVEL CONFIGURABILITY”. The related application, of which the disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, is assigned to Micron Technology, Inc., and was filed on Nov. 13, 2017 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/811,572.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly relates to semiconductor devices with through-silicon vias (TSVs) and package-level configurability.

BACKGROUND

Packaged semiconductor dies, including memory chips, microprocessor chips, and imager chips, typically include one or more semiconductor dies mounted on a substrate and encased in a plastic protective covering or covered by a heat-conducting lid. The die can include active circuits (e.g., providing functional features such as memory cells, processor circuits, and/or imager devices) and/or passive features (e.g., capacitors, resistors, etc.) as well as bond pads electrically connected to the circuits. The bond pads can be electrically connected to terminals outside the protective covering to allow the die to be connected to higher level circuitry.

For example, FIG. 1 is a simplified partial cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 100 including multiple semiconductor dies 102 and 103 stacked in a shingled fashion on a substrate 101 and covered by an encapsulant 170. Each die includes one or more contact pads, such as contact pads 122 and 123 to provide connectivity to a corresponding integrated circuit, such as circuits 162 and 163. The contact pads 122 and 123 can be connected to a substrate contact 121 by wirebonds 131 and 132 (shown in a daisy-chain configuration), to provide connectivity to circuits 162 and 163 via solder ball 151 (by way of via 152).

With some semiconductor dies, various bond pads can be connected to multiple circuits in a die. For example, in a NAND memory die, a single bond pad may be connected to both an active driver circuit and a passive ESD protection circuit (e.g., including one or more capacitors). The ESD protection circuit can be designed to provide a desired amount of capacitance to protect the single active driver circuit. In a semiconductor device assembly including multiple such NAND memory dies with active driver circuits connected in parallel (e.g., with the corresponding bond pad from each NAND memory die connected to the same external terminal), the excess capacitance provided by the ESD protection circuit from each die being connected in parallel can degrade device performance. This can be addressed by designing different NAND memory dies for different package densities (e.g., a NAND memory die configured to be packaged alone, a different NAND memory die with less capacitive ESD protection circuits configured to be packaged in a stack of two, yet another NAND memory die with even less capacitive ESD protection circuits configured to be packaged in a stack of four, etc.), but designing and fabricating multiple different semiconductor dies for each possible package configuration is prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, there is a need for a semiconductor die that can be configured with different amounts of ESD protection depending upon the configuration in which the die is packaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified partial cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly including multiple semiconductor dies stacked on a substrate.

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device assembly.

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

FIGS. 4-6 are simplified schematic cross-sectional views of semiconductor device assemblies in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

FIGS. 8-11 are simplified schematic views of semiconductor device assemblies in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a system that includes a semiconductor device assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method of making a semiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are discussed to provide a thorough and enabling description for embodiments of the present technology. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will recognize that the disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or operations often associated with semiconductor devices are not shown, or are not described in detail, to avoid obscuring other aspects of the technology. In general, it should be understood that various other devices, systems, and methods in addition to those specific embodiments disclosed herein may be within the scope of the present technology.

As discussed above, when semiconductor dies with an ESD protection circuit connected to the same bond pad as an active circuit (e.g., a driver circuit) are connected together in different package densities, the amount of capacitance provided by the ESD protection circuit cannot be optimized for each package density. Accordingly, several embodiments of semiconductor devices in accordance with the present technology can provide package-level configurability of a provided capacitance to overcome this challenge.

Several embodiments of the present technology are directed to semiconductor device assemblies including a substrate and a die coupled to the substrate. The die includes a first contact pad electrically coupled to a first circuit on the die including at least one active circuit element, a first through-silicon via (TSV) electrically coupling the first contact pad to a first backside contact pad of the die, and a second contact pad electrically coupled to a second circuit on the die including only passive circuit elements. The substrate includes a substrate contact electrically coupled to both the first contact pad and the second contact pad on the die.

Specific details of several embodiments of semiconductor devices are described below. The term “semiconductor device” generally refers to a solid-state device that includes a semiconductor material. A semiconductor device can include, for example, a semiconductor substrate, wafer, or die that is singulated from a wafer or substrate. Throughout the disclosure, semiconductor devices are generally described in the context of semiconductor dies; however, semiconductor devices are not limited to semiconductor dies.

The term “semiconductor device package” can refer to an arrangement with one or more semiconductor devices incorporated into a common package. A semiconductor package can include a housing or casing that partially or completely encapsulates at least one semiconductor device. A semiconductor device package can also include an interposer substrate that carries one or more semiconductor devices and is attached to or otherwise incorporated into the casing. The term “semiconductor device assembly” can refer to an assembly of one or more semiconductor devices, semiconductor device packages, and/or substrates (e.g., interposer, support, or other suitable substrates). The semiconductor device assembly can be manufactured, for example, in discrete package form, strip or matrix form, and/or wafer panel form. As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “upper,” and “lower” can refer to relative directions or positions of features in the semiconductor device or device assembly in view of the orientation shown in the Figures. For example, “upper” or “uppermost” can refer to a feature positioned closer to or closest to, respectively, the top of a page than another feature or portion of the same feature. These terms, however, should be construed broadly to include semiconductor devices having other orientations, such as inverted or inclined orientations where top/bottom, over/under, above/below, up/down, and left/right can be interchanged depending on the orientation.

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device assembly 200 including a semiconductor die 202 coupled to a substrate 201. The die includes contact pads, such as contact pads 211 and 212, which are each connected to both an integrated circuit with active components (schematically illustrated as a driver (DRV) circuit), and an integrated circuit with passive components (schematically illustrated as an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit). The contact pads 211 and 212 are electrically coupled (e.g., by wirebonds 230) to substrate contacts 221 and 222. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 2, if semiconductor die 202 has been configured with an amount of capacitance suitable to provide ESD protection for a single driver circuit, then adding another such semiconductor die to the assembly 200 can undesirably increase the capacitance “seen” by the substrate contacts 221 and 222.

To address this problem, embodiments of the present technology can provide a semiconductor die in which an active circuit, and the passive circuit configured to provide ESD protection thereto, are connected to separate contact pads, such that a desired amount of capacitance can be provided regardless of the number of dies provided in a package assembly. For example, FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Semiconductor device 300 includes a plurality of contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 311-314, for providing connectivity to circuits in the semiconductor device 300. For example, the first contact pad 311 provides connectivity to a first circuit 371 with active components (e.g., a driver circuit), and the second contact pad 312 provides connectivity to a second circuit 372 with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). Similarly, the third contact pad 313 provides connectivity to a third circuit 373 with active components (e.g., a driver circuit), and the fourth contact pad 314 provides connectivity to a fourth circuit 374 with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). By providing each passive circuit with a dedicated contact pad, semiconductor device 300 makes possible different packaging densities utilizing multiple identical semiconductor dies, while providing a desired amount of ESD protection and without, e.g., excess capacitance causing the driver circuits 371 and 373 to consume excess power.

This can be better understood with reference to FIG. 4, which is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device assembly 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 400 includes a substrate 401 and two semiconductor dies 402 and 403 (e.g., identical semiconductor dies). Like the semiconductor device 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 above, each semiconductor die 402 and 403 includes multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 411 a-414 a, each providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). Each contact pad 411 a-414 a is connected (e.g., by a corresponding through-silicon via (TSV) 411 b-414 b) to a corresponding backside pad 411 c-414 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 400. Because each ESD protection circuit of each semiconductor die 402 and 403 is provided with a dedicated contact pad (e.g., contact pads 412 a and 414 a), the assembly 400 can be configured with a desired amount of ESD protection for each driver circuit.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 4, the substrate 401 includes two substrate contacts 421 and 422. The first substrate contact 421 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 401) to two substrate backside contacts 421 a and 421 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 430) to the first contact pad 411 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 402 and 403 in the assembly 400, but is connected to the second contact pad 412 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 402 in the assembly 400 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the second contact pad 412 a of the upper semiconductor die 403 and the second backside contact pad 412 c of the lower semiconductor die 402). Similarly, the second substrate contact 422 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 401) to two substrate backside contacts 422 a and 422 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 430) to the third contact pad 413 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 402 and 403 in the assembly 400, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 414 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 402 in the assembly 400 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the fourth contact pad 414 a of the upper semiconductor die 403 and the fourth backside contact pad 414 c of the lower semiconductor die 402). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 421 and 422 the second and fourth contact pads 412 a and 414 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on the upper semiconductor die 403, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 421 and 422 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from each die in the assembly 400 were connected.

Although FIG. 4 has been described and illustrated as including multiple identical semiconductor dies, in other embodiments of the present technology semiconductor device assemblies with different types of dies can be provided with similar features. For example, in one embodiment a semiconductor device assembly can include a logic die and a memory die, one or both of which can include discrete contact pads for passive circuits to be connected as desired during packaging. Moreover, although FIG. 4 has been described and illustrated as including semiconductor dies with two driver circuits, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this embodiment is but one example, and semiconductor dies with different numbers of driver circuits can also be provided. Furthermore, FIG. 4 has been described and illustrated as providing contact pads for ESD protection circuits separate from contact pads for driver circuits, in other embodiments circuits with other active elements besides drivers can be provided, and other circuits including only passive components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.) can likewise be provided.

Although FIG. 4 has been described and illustrated with TSVs corresponding to each contact pad of a semiconductor die, in other embodiments of the present technology, the TSVs may be omitted from the contact pads that provide connectivity to ESD circuits, as it is not infrequently the case that only the ESD circuits of the lowest die, if any, in a semiconductor device assembly is connected to the substrate contacts. For example, FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 500 includes a substrate 501 and two semiconductor dies 502 and 503, each including multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 511 a-514 a, for providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). The contact pads 511 a and 513 a corresponding to the circuits with active components are connected (e.g., by corresponding TSVs 511 b and 513 b) to corresponding backside pads 511 c and 513 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 500. TSVs and backside contact pads are not, however, provided for those contact pads 512 a and 514 a corresponding to circuits including only passive components.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 5, the substrate 501 includes two substrate contacts 521 and 522. The first substrate contact 521 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 501) to two substrate backside contacts 521 a and 521 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 530) to the first contact pad 511 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 502 and 503 in the assembly 500, but is connected to the second contact pad 512 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 502 in the assembly 500 (e.g., due to the omission of a TSV and backside contact pad corresponding to the second contact pad 512 a). Similarly, the second substrate contact 522 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 501) to two substrate backside contacts 522 a and 522 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 530) to the third contact pad 513 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 502 and 503 in the assembly 500, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 514 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 502 in the assembly 500 (e.g., due to the omission of a TSV and backside contact pad corresponding to the fourth contact pad 514 a). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 521 and 522 the second and fourth contact pads 512 a and 514 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on the upper semiconductor die 503, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 521 and 522 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from each die in the assembly 500 were connected.

Although in the foregoing examples semiconductor device assemblies have been described and illustrated as including two semiconductor dies, in other embodiments of the present technology, semiconductor device assemblies can include any other number of dies, such as 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 32, etc. For example, FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device 600 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Semiconductor device 600 includes a substrate 601 and four semiconductor dies 602-605, each including multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 611 a-614 a, for providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). The contact pads 611 a and 613 a corresponding to the circuits with active components are connected (e.g., by corresponding TSVs 611 b and 613 b) to corresponding backside pads 611 c and 613 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 600. TSVs and backside contact pads are not, however, provided for those contact pads 612 a and 614 a corresponding to circuits including only passive components.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 6, the substrate 601 includes two substrate contacts 621 and 622. The first substrate contact 621 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 601) to two substrate backside contacts 621 a and 621 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 630) to the first contact pad 611 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 602-605 in the assembly 600, but is connected to the second contact pad 612 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 602 in the assembly 600 (e.g., due to the omission of a TSV and backside contact pad corresponding to the second contact pad 612 a). Similarly, the second substrate contact 622 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 601) to two substrate backside contacts 622 a and 622 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 630) to the third contact pad 613 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 602-605 in the assembly 600, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 614 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only one semiconductor die 602 in the assembly 600 (e.g., due to the omission of a TSV and backside contact pad corresponding to the fourth contact pad 614 a). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 621 and 622 the second and fourth contact pads 612 a and 614 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on the upper semiconductor dies 603-605, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 621 and 622 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from each die in the assembly 600 were connected.

Although in the foregoing examples semiconductor dies have been described and illustrated as including a single ESD protection circuit corresponding to each driver circuit, in other embodiments of the present technology, additional configurability can be provided by including multiple ESD protection circuits with dedicated contact pads corresponding to each driver circuit on a semiconductor die. For example, FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic view of a semiconductor device 700 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Semiconductor device 700 includes a plurality of contact pads, such as first through sixth contact pads 711-716, for providing connectivity to circuits in the semiconductor device 700. For example, the first contact pad 711 provides connectivity to a first circuit 771 with active components (e.g., a driver circuit), and the second and third contact pads 712 and 713 provide connectivity to second and third circuits 772 and 773, respectively, which include only passive components (e.g., ESD protection circuits). Similarly, the fourth contact pad 714 provides connectivity to a fourth circuit 774 with active components (e.g., a driver circuit), and the fifth and sixth contact pads 715 and 716 provide connectivity to fifth and sixth circuits 775 and 776, respectively, which include only passive components (e.g., ESD protection circuits). By providing each active circuit with multiple corresponding passive circuits, each with their own dedicated contact pad, semiconductor device 700 makes possible different packaging densities utilizing multiple identical semiconductor dies, while providing a desired amount of ESD protection without, e.g., excess capacitance causing the driver circuits 771 and 774 to consume excess power.

This can be better understood with reference to FIG. 8, which is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 800 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 800 includes a substrate 801 and four semiconductor dies 802-805 (e.g., identical semiconductor dies). Like the semiconductor device 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 above, each semiconductor die 802-805 includes multiple contact pads, such as first through sixth contact pads 811 a-816 a, each providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). The contact pads 811 a and 814 a corresponding to the circuits with active components are connected (e.g., by corresponding TSVs 811 b and 814 b) to corresponding backside pads 811 c and 814 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 800. TSVs and backside contact pads are not, however, provided for those contact pads 812 a, 813 a, 815 a and 816 a corresponding to circuits including only passive components. Because each ESD protection circuit is provided with a dedicated contact pad, the assembly 800 can be configured with a desired amount of ESD protection for each driver circuit.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 8, the substrate 801 includes two substrate contacts 821 and 822. The first substrate contact 821 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 801) to three substrate backside contacts 821 a-821 c, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 830) to the first contact pad 811 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 802-805 in the assembly 800, but is connected to the second and third contact pads 812 a and 813 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) of only one semiconductor die 802 in the assembly 800 (e.g., due to the omission of TSVs and backside contact pads corresponding to the second and third contact pads 812 a and 813 a). Similarly, the second substrate contact 822 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 801) to three substrate backside contacts 822 a-822 c, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 830) to the fourth contact pad 814 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 802-805 in the assembly 800, but is connected to the fifth and sixth contact pads 815 a and 816 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) of only one semiconductor die 802 in the assembly 800 (e.g., due to the omission of TSVs and backside contact pads corresponding to the fifth and sixth contact pads 815 a and 816 a). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 821 and 822 the second, third, fifth and sixth contact pads 812 a, 813 a, 815 a and 816 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on the upper semiconductor dies 803-805, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 821 and 822 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from each die in the assembly 800 were connected.

Although in the foregoing embodiments, semiconductor device assemblies are illustrated and described in which the ESD protection circuits of only one die in the assembly are connected to the substrate contacts, in other embodiments a semiconductor device assembly can include multiple dies that have ESD protection circuits connected to the substrate contact(s) thereof. For example, FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 900 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 900 includes a substrate 901 and four semiconductor dies 902-905 (e.g., identical semiconductor dies), each including multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 911 a-914 a, for providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). Each contact pad 911 a-914 a is connected (e.g., by a corresponding through-silicon via (TSV) 911 b-914 b) to a corresponding backside pad 911 c-914 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 900. Because each ESD protection circuit of each semiconductor die 902-905 is provided with a dedicated contact pad (e.g., contact pads 912 a and 914 a), the assembly 900 can be configured with a desired amount of ESD protection for each driver circuit.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 9, the substrate 901 includes two substrate contacts 921 and 922. The first substrate contact 921 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 901) to two substrate backside contacts 921 a and 921 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 930) to the first contact pad 911 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 902-905 in the assembly 900, but is connected to the second contact pad 912 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only two semiconductor dies 902 and 903 in the assembly 900 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the second contact pad 912 a of the third semiconductor die 904 and the second backside contact pad 912 c of the second semiconductor die 903). Similarly, the second substrate contact 922 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 901) to two substrate backside contacts 922 a and 922 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 930) to the third contact pad 913 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 902-905 in the assembly 900, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 914 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of only two semiconductor dies 902 and 903 in the assembly 900 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the fourth contact pad 914 a of the third semiconductor die 904 and the fourth backside contact pad 914 c of the second semiconductor die 903). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 921 and 922 the second and fourth contact pads 912 a and 914 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on the third and fourth semiconductor dies 904 and 905, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 921 and 922 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from each die in the assembly 900 were connected.

Although in the foregoing embodiments semiconductor device assemblies have been illustrated in which at least one die includes attached ESD protection circuits, in other embodiments of the present technology semiconductor device assemblies can include multiple dies, all of which include ESD protection circuits that are not connected (e.g., reliant on the inherent capacitance of the multiple driver circuits, such that there is no need for additional capacitance). For example, FIG. 10 is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 1000 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 1000 includes a substrate 1001 and four semiconductor dies 1002-1005 (e.g., identical semiconductor dies), each including multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 1011 a-1014 a, for providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). Each contact pad 1011 a-1014 a is connected (e.g., by a corresponding through-silicon via (TSV) 1011 b-1014 b) to a corresponding backside pad 1011 c-1014 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 1000. Because each ESD protection circuit of each semiconductor die 1002-1005 is provided with a dedicated contact pad (e.g., contact pads 1012 a and 1014 a), the assembly 1000 can be configured with a desired amount of ESD protection for each driver circuit.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 10, the substrate 1001 includes two substrate contacts 1021 and 1022. The first substrate contact 1021 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 1001) to two substrate backside contacts 1021 a and 1021 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 1030) to the first contact pad 1011 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 1002-1005 in the assembly 1000, but is connected to the second contact pad 1012 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of none of the semiconductor dies 1002-1005 in the assembly 1000 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the second contact pad 1012 a of the first semiconductor die 1002 and the corresponding substrate backside contact pad 1021 b). Similarly, the second substrate contact 1022 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 1001) to two substrate backside contacts 1022 a and 1022 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 1030) to the third contact pad 1013 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 1002-1005 in the assembly 1000, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 1014 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of none of the semiconductor dies 1002-1005 in the assembly 1000 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the fourth contact pad 1014 a of the first semiconductor die 1002 and the corresponding substrate backside contact pad 1022 b). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 1021 and 1022 the second and fourth contact pads 1012 a and 1014 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on all of the semiconductor dies 1002-1005, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 1021 and 1022 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from any of the dies in the assembly 1000 were connected.

Although in the foregoing embodiments semiconductor device assemblies have been illustrated in which the dies includes TSVs connected to the ESD protection circuits thereof, in other embodiments of the present technology semiconductor device assemblies can include dies that include ESD protection circuits that are not connected to any TSV. For example, FIG. 11 is a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device assembly 1100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Assembly 1100 includes a substrate 1101 and four semiconductor dies 1102-1105 (e.g., identical semiconductor dies), each including multiple contact pads, such as first through fourth contact pads 1111 a-1114 a, for providing connectivity to either a circuit with active components (e.g., a driver circuit) or a circuit with passive components (e.g., an ESD protection circuit). The contact pads 1111 a and 1113 a corresponding to the circuits with active components are connected (e.g., by corresponding TSVs 1111 b and 1113 b) to corresponding backside pads 1111 c and 1113 c, to provide connectivity to dies higher in the assembly 1100. TSVs and backside contact pads are not, however, provided for those contact pads 1112 a and 1114 a corresponding to circuits including only passive components.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 11, the substrate 1101 includes two substrate contacts 1121 and 1122. The first substrate contact 1121 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 1101) to two substrate backside contacts 1121 a and 1121 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 1130) to the first contact pad 1111 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 1102-1105 in the assembly 1100, but is connected to the second contact pad 1112 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of none of the semiconductor dies 1102-1105 in the assembly 1100 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the second contact pad 1112 a of the first semiconductor die 1102 and the corresponding substrate backside contact pad 1121 b). Similarly, the second substrate contact 1122 is connected (e.g., by metallization features in the substrate 1101) to two substrate backside contacts 1122 a and 1122 b, and is further connected (e.g., by solder balls 1130) to the third contact pad 1113 a (corresponding to a driver circuit) of each semiconductor die 1102-1105 in the assembly 1100, but is connected to the fourth contact pad 1114 a (corresponding to an ESD protection circuit) of none of the semiconductor dies 1102-1105 in the assembly 1100 (e.g., due to the omission of a solder ball that would provide a connection between the fourth contact pad 1114 a of the first semiconductor die 1102 and the corresponding substrate backside contact pad 1122 b). By leaving electrically disconnected from the substrate contacts 1121 and 1122 the second and fourth contact pads 1112 a and 1114 a (corresponding to ESD protection circuits) on all of the semiconductor dies 1102-1105, the capacitance of the circuit to which each substrate contact 1121 and 1122 is connected is less than it would be if ESD protection circuits from any of the dies in the assembly 1100 were connected.

Any one of the semiconductor device assemblies described above with reference to FIGS. 3-11 can be incorporated into any of a myriad of larger and/or more complex systems, a representative example of which is system 1200 shown schematically in FIG. 12. The system 1200 can include a semiconductor device assembly 1202, a power source 1204, a driver 1206, a processor 1208, and/or other subsystems or components 1210. The semiconductor device assembly 1202 can include features generally similar to those of the semiconductor devices described above with reference to FIGS. 3-11. The resulting system 1200 can perform any of a wide variety of functions, such as memory storage, data processing, and/or other suitable functions. Accordingly, representative systems 1200 can include, without limitation, hand-held devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, digital readers, and digital audio players), computers, vehicles, appliances and other products. Components of the system 1200 may be housed in a single unit or distributed over multiple, interconnected units (e.g., through a communications network). The components of the system 1200 can also include remote devices and any of a wide variety of computer readable media.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method of making a semiconductor device assembly. The method includes providing a substrate that includes a substrate contact (box 1310) and coupling one or more semiconductor dies to the substrate (box 1320). Each of the one or more semiconductor dies includes a first contact pad electrically coupled to a first circuit on the semiconductor die including at least one active circuit element, and a second contact pad electrically coupled to a second circuit on the semiconductor die including only passive circuit elements. The method further includes electrically coupling the first contact pad of all of the one or more semiconductor dies to the substrate contact (box 1330) and electrically coupling the second contact pads of at least one of the one or more semiconductor dies to the substrate contact (box 1340).

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A method of assembling a semiconductor device assembly, comprising: providing a substrate including a substrate contact; coupling first and second dies to the substrate, wherein each of the first and second die include: a first contact pad electrically coupled to a first circuit including at least one active circuit element, a first through-silicon via (TSV) electrically coupling the first contact pad to a first backside contact pad, a second contact pad electrically coupled to a second circuit including only passive circuit elements, a second TSV electrically coupling the second contact pad to a second backside contact pad, a third contact pad electrically coupled to a third circuit including only passive circuit elements, and a third TSV electrically coupling the third contact pad to a third backside contact pad; electrically coupling the substrate contact to the first circuit of each of the first and second die; and electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, the third circuit of the first die, the third circuit of the second die, or a combination thereof, to provide the first circuit of each of the first and second die with a predetermined amount of ESD protection.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of ESD protection corresponds to a total number of dies in the semiconductor device assembly.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second circuit and the third circuit of each of the first and second dies are each configured to provide a different amount of ESD protection when coupled to the substrate contact.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, the third circuit of the first die, the third circuit of the second die, or a combination thereof comprises: connecting one or more solder interconnects to corresponding ones of the second contact pad of the first die, the third contact pad of the first die, the second contact pad of the second die, and the third contact pad of the second die.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, the third circuit of the first die, the third circuit of the second die, or a combination thereof comprises: electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second contact pad of the first die and to the second contact pad of the second die; and leaving the substrate contact electrically isolated from the third contact pad of the first die and the third contact pad of the second die.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, the third circuit of the first die, the third circuit of the second die, or a combination thereof comprises: electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second contact pad of the first die, the third contact pad of the first die, and the second contact pad of the second die; and leaving the substrate contact electrically isolated from the third contact pad of the second die.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, the third circuit of the first die, the third circuit of the second die, or a combination thereof comprises: electrically coupling the substrate contact to the second contact pad of the first die; and leaving the substrate contact electrically isolated from the third contact pad of the first die, the second contact pad of the second die, and the third contact pad of the second die.
 8. A semiconductor device assembly, comprising: a substrate including a substrate contact; a first die coupled to the substrate; and a second die coupled to the first die, wherein each of the first and second die include: a first contact pad electrically coupled to a first circuit including at least one active circuit element, a first through-silicon via (TSV) electrically coupling the first contact pad to a first backside contact pad, a second contact pad electrically coupled to a second circuit including only passive circuit elements, a second TSV electrically coupling the second contact pad to a second backside contact pad, a third contact pad electrically coupled to a third circuit including only passive circuit elements, and a third TSV electrically coupling the third contact pad to a third backside contact pad, wherein the substrate contact is electrically coupled to the first circuit of each of the first and second die, and wherein the substrate contact is electrically coupled to the second circuit of the first die.
 9. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 8, wherein the substrate contact is electrically isolated from the third circuit of the first die, the second circuit of the second die, and the third circuit of the second die.
 10. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 8, wherein the substrate contact is further electrically coupled to the second circuit of the second die.
 11. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 10, wherein the substrate contact is electrically coupled to the second circuit of the second die via a solder connection between the second backside contact pad of the first die and the second contact pad of the second die.
 12. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 10, wherein the substrate contact is electrically isolated from the third circuit of the first die and the third circuit of the second die.
 13. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 8, wherein the substrate contact is further electrically coupled to the third circuit of the first die.
 14. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 13, wherein the substrate contact is electrically isolated from the second circuit of the second die and the third circuit of the second die.
 15. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 13, wherein the substrate contact is further electrically coupled to the third circuit of the second die.
 16. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 15, wherein the substrate contact is electrically coupled to the third circuit of the second die via a solder connection between the third backside contact pad of the first die and the third contact pad of the second die.
 17. The semiconductor device assembly of claim 8, wherein the second circuit and the third circuit of each of the first and second dies are each configured to provide a different amount of ESD protection when coupled to the substrate contact. 